Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...
Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...
Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...
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Asbab <strong>al</strong>-Nuzul<br />
grand mosque of] <strong>al</strong>-Basrah: ‘<strong>Al</strong>lah has commanded you with something that He Himself has started first<br />
when He said (Lo! <strong>Al</strong>lah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on<br />
him and s<strong>al</strong>ute him with a worthy s<strong>al</strong>utation). Through this, <strong>Al</strong>lah has preferred the Prophet, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless<br />
him and give him peace, over <strong>al</strong>l other messengers and singled you out from <strong>al</strong>l other communities. Do,<br />
therefore, meet <strong>Al</strong>lah’s bounty with gratitude’ ”.<br />
I heard master Abu ‘Uthman <strong>al</strong>-Hafiz say that he heard Imam Sahl ibn Muhammad ibn Sulayman say:<br />
“<strong>The</strong> honour that <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, bestowed upon our Prophet, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace,<br />
by His saying (Lo! <strong>Al</strong>lah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet) is more far-reaching and more<br />
complete than the honour bestowed upon Adam, peace be upon him, when the angels were ordered to<br />
prostrate to him. This is because it is not conceivable that <strong>Al</strong>lah be with the angels upon the bestow<strong>al</strong><br />
of that honour. However, <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, has informed that He Himself showers blessings on the<br />
Prophet, and then He informed that the angels do shower blessings upon him. <strong>The</strong>refore, an honour<br />
which ensues from Him is much far-reaching than an honour which ensues from the angels only and<br />
which is inconceivable that <strong>Al</strong>lah be with them upon its bestow<strong>al</strong>”. What Sahl has said is taken from the<br />
saying of <strong>al</strong>-Mahdi. He might have come across it, adopted some of it and explained it further. He <strong>al</strong>so<br />
compared it with the honour bestowed upon Adam and showed that it is more far-reaching and complete<br />
than it.<br />
It is <strong>al</strong>so mentioned in the rigorously authenticated collections of prophetic sayings the following: Abu<br />
Bakr ibn Ibrahim <strong>al</strong>-Farisi informed us> Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn ‘Amrawayh> Ibrahim ibn Sufyan><br />
Muslim> Qutaybah and ‘<strong>Al</strong>i ibn Hajar> Isma‘il ibn Ja‘far> <strong>al</strong>-‘<strong>Al</strong>a’> his father> Abu Hurayrah who reported<br />
that the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, said: “Whoever invokes blessings<br />
on me once, <strong>Al</strong>lah will invoke blessings upon him ten times”. 18<br />
(He it is Who blesseth you, and His angels…) [33:43].<br />
Mujahid said: “When the verse (Lo! <strong>Al</strong>lah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet) [33:56], Abu<br />
Bakr said: ‘<strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, has not given you any good except that made us partake of it’. <strong>The</strong>n, this<br />
verse (Lo! <strong>Al</strong>lah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet) was reve<strong>al</strong>ed”. 19<br />
(And those who m<strong>al</strong>ign believing men and believing women undeservedly…) [33:58].<br />
‘Ata’ reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “Once, ‘Umar ibn <strong>al</strong>-Khattab, may <strong>Al</strong>lah be well pleased with him,<br />
saw a girl from the Helpers with her beauty uncovered. He disliked seeing her beauty and hit her. She<br />
complained to her family about him and, as a result, they went out to him in order to hurt him. <strong>Al</strong>lah,<br />
ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed this verse about this incident”. 20<br />
Muqatil said: “This verse was reve<strong>al</strong>ed about ‘<strong>Al</strong>i ibn Abi T<strong>al</strong>ib who used to be harmed and m<strong>al</strong>igned by<br />
a group of hypocrites”. 21<br />
<strong>Al</strong>-Dahhak and <strong>al</strong>-Suddi said: “This verse was reve<strong>al</strong>ed about those adulterers who used to roam the<br />
streets of Medina and follow the women who come out at night to relieve themselves. When they saw a<br />
woman, they approached her and winked at her. If the woman did not say anything, they followed her;<br />
but if she rebuked them, they left her <strong>al</strong>one. Actu<strong>al</strong>ly, these adulterers were only after slave girls. But at<br />
that time, freewomen were not distinguishable from slave-girls. <strong>Al</strong>l women used to go out wearing a chemise<br />
and a headscarf. <strong>The</strong> women complained to their husbands who mentioned the matter to the Messenger<br />
of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, and so <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed this verse”.<br />
18<br />
Durr, :651.<br />
19<br />
In the origin<strong>al</strong> Arabic, the occasion of 33:43 was placed after the occasion of 33:56.<br />
20<br />
Qurtubi, :240.<br />
21<br />
Qurtubi, :240.<br />
188
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